Old Greek Stories

by James Baldwin

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

Genres: Mythology, Classics, Fiction, Short Stories, Fantasy, Audiobook, Ebooks

101 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1895

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

James Baldwin (1841-1925) was an American editor and author. Largely self-educated, he began teaching at the age of 24. In addition to editing school books, he started writing books of his own. After the publication in 1882 of The Story of Siegfried, he went on to write more than 50 others. At one time it was estimated that of all the school books in use in the United States, over half had been written or edited by him. He is best remembered for the books of introductory historical sketches he wrote for younger students and his retellings of the legends of heroes for older students. Other works include: The Story of Roland (1883), A Story of the Golden Age (1887), Old Greek Stories (1895), Fifty Famous Stories Retold (1896), Four Great Americans (1897), Hero Tales (1904), Fifty Famous People (1912) and In My Youth (1914).

Reviews

[Olivia-Savannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are some of the greek mythology stories rewritten in a way that is supposed to be accesible to child and adult readers alike. Which means they are simplified and not overly violent. I quite liked it, and it was soothing to read.

I am already pretty familiar with a lot of the Greek Mythology as it is something that intrigues me. But this was refreshing to read, not too confusing, and comforting. It was straightforward and read like fairytales. I liked that although the magic and mysteriousness was kept in the stories, it wasn't pushed in every single case.

And it shows the Greek Gods and Goddesses to be a bit more human, due to the limited magic included.

I don't have much else to say other than I liked it. Oh, and you can download this one for free on Kindle as it's in public domain.

[So Hakim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A public domain book, which if you'd do some searching, may be found in some part of the web. It is very concise introduction to Greco-Roman mythology, with younger-audience-friendly tone of writing. No analysis, no comparative myths, and not even reference to ancient works -- only storytelling. Which, in strangely charming way, makes it even more readable.

The narration is enjoyable, and the book makes sure every popular figure is included. The only qualm is that the author opted to use Roman names rather than Greek -- Jupiter/Juno rather than Zeus/Hera, etc. -- which goes against our custom in modern time. Shouldn't be much problem though, because he took care to mention the alternative names when they first appear.

[Myra]

It had been a while since I've read some greek mythology. It is always so interesting and strange! I've listened to the audiobook on Librivox. Full review will come soon!

[Haley Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Wilde Luo · Rating 4 out of 5]

These stories are suitable for children, which are pure and innocent. These stories can teach them what is justice, what is bravery, how people work together, how to regulate themselves to avoid acting like those bad people.
As an adult, the stories are somewhat ideal and corny for me, but wonderful stories they still are.
I am so frustrated that this world is made for people who are "handsome youths" or "fair maidens" or "mighty". Do average-looking people have no rights to live?

[Utkarsha Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

a precise, and engaging introduction to the history of Greek gods and goddesses narrated in the form of short stories. A must read starting book for people alien to the history of Greek gods and heroes. amazing bedtime read for kids.

[Megh. Megh. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Because of my Morton toe also commonly known as Greek feet, I have this likeness towards greek mythology. This book repeats many stories though. But its not that great but yeah a one time read. They have mostly covered thr common stories and the language is easy too.

[Evatong Zou · Rating 4 out of 5]

it is easy reading and informative. i cannot drop my kindle when i am reading. however it does not inclide the golden flee abd hercules....

[Roberta · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice little introductory book to Greek mythology. Every child should read it, adults could start from here to develop better knowledge of the Greek heroes and gods

[fathi esam · Rating 5 out of 5]

الكتاب : أقاصيص من الأساطير اليونانية
الكاتب : جيمس بالدوين
عدد الصفحات :٢٥٠
التقييم النهائي : *****

الميثولوجيا كما يجب أن تروى

دائما ما كانت الميثولوجيا محط اهتمامي وشغفي وقرائاتي وخاصة اليونانية... تلك الحكايات القديمة التي الهمت أجيال واجيال من الشعراء والأدباء والرسامين التي كانت الميثولوجيا حجر اساس في كتاباتهم وابداعهم الأدبي كمثال دانتي اليجري وهوميروس وشكسبير وجوم ملتون وجيمس جويس وغوته وفيكتور هوجو وغيرهم الكثير حتى يومنا هذا.... بدايتي مع الميثولوجيا كانت منذ المراهقة عندما شاهدت فيلم هيركليز الكرتوني وبدأت أسال حالي أسئلة بديهية ماذا حدث لهيركليز بعد أحداث الفيلم وتلك كانت نقطة البداية والبحث.... العائق الوحيد الذي أراه في حكايات الالهة والبشر في الميثولوجيا اليونانية هو تشعبها وكثرتها مما قد يفقدك تركيزك وانتباهك ويصيبك بالملل....


جيمس بالدوين كاتب ومسرحي وشاعر افرو أمريكي من اشهر كتاب القرن الماضي وله العديد من الروايات اشهرها والتي ترجمت الي اللغة العربية غرفة جيوفاني واعلنوا مولده فوق الجبل... ولكن جيمس بالدوين هنا لا يكتب روايات من خياله انه فقط يعيد صياغة الأساطير اليونانية بشكل يعتبر تحدي له ولموهبته الأدبية....

الميزة الأكبر هذا الكتاب الذي كتبه بالدوين هو السلاسة في السرد وقولبة القصص بشكل مناسبة لتشعر انها متتالية بداية من عصر الجبابرة وقبل سيطرة الالهة القديمة علي الكون حتي وصولا الي الحكاية الأخيرة التي يسردها حكاية ثيسيوس البطل الاثيني وحكايته مع المينوتور ومتاهته.... الميزة الثانية في هذا الكتاب هو التنقيح اللي عمله بالدوين للحكايات لتصبح مناسبة للأطفال وللكبار ومناسبة أيضا لكل شخص يحب ان يبدأ بالقراءة عن الميثولوجيا اليونانية.... الكتاب ممتع ومسلي الي أقصى حد وبشكل خفيف نقل ابرز حكايات الميثولوجيا اليونانية بدون ان يخل باحداثها الأساسية... اعتقد انه هيبقى كتاب الشهر ♥️

التقييم النهائي العلامة الكاملة ٥ نجوم

[Celine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hoewel ik de Griekse mythologie geweldig vind, vond ik dit boek echt onzin. De verhalen waren soms echt raar met aanpassingen die gewoon frustrerend waren. En dat telde voor mij gewoon heel erg mee voor het boek, omdat het er ook voor zorgde dat ik gewoon geen zin had in het boek...

[Janna Rhodes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised how not overly sexist this book was for the time it was written and also considering ancient Greek culture in general. I read it to my daughter (8) and we both enjoyed the stories, which were written in an engaging way, with evocative but not too advanced language. I did change most of the instances of "men" to "people" and "mankind" to "humankind" while reading it, but otherwise it really held up. My daughter particularly enjoyed the story of Atalanta, which she compared to the Disney movie "Brave" (who says 8 years olds can't do comparative lit?). Also, the portrayals of the gods are interesting--often, the gods are shown to be vain and arbitrary, but it's not done in a sexist way (as many Greek myth books seem to be, where Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Apollo, and Hermes are depicted as being pretty powerful and awesome and the goddesses, particularly Hera, Demeter, and Aphrodite, are portrayed as weak and vain and boring). Most of the gods in this book are pretty much acting like egomaniacal jerks (particularly Zeus), with the exception of Athena who is mostly compassionate and fair (though consistently described as "not beautiful," prompting an interesting discussion about what beauty is. I suggested that Athena was described as not being beautiful because she didn't feel like putting on makeup or spend a lot of time on her hair or ornaments, but that it didn't mean she was actually unattractive--just not participating in the standardized culture of beauty at the time.

[Vigneswara Prabhu · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the first stories I read as a child was one with Hercules and Antaeus. Only in the version I read, Antaeus beat Heracles with the help of Pygmies whom he had befriended.

There in Lies the intrigue with Mythology. There are often Multiple versions and Interpretations to tales that have bled into the collective Human Psyche.

Sometimes the stories are so familiar we tend to remember the Version with some incorrect details.More confusing is the blurred lines due to the Merging and borrowing of deities between the Hellenic and Roman Cultures.

The Work in that sense is a Purist interpretation or rather the origin of several common Myths and Gods of Greek History. One could say that there is no mentioning of this civilization distinct from said mythology.

The prose is simple and pleasing to the ears. And well told stories are, told well. A good book which can serve as an introduction to Greek Mythology and God Origin. Since we all know going forwards the stories and genealogy only get more and more muddied :)

[Hawraki · Rating 5 out of 5]

يأخذك هذا الكتاب منذ بدء نشوء الأسطورة وأسبابها وفائدة دراستها حتى شرحها بترجمة متقنة وتشكيل سليم، كما يتضمن أبيات شعرية ونثرية واقتباسات استشهادية تعرض على طاولة الاحتمالات أكثر من خيار لينقي القارئ منها ما يعجبه. وفي الواقع أجد هذا الكتاب من أكثر الكتب وضوحاً - مما قرأت - في شرح المثيولوجيا الأغريقية باللغة العربية وسيفيد حتماً الراغبين في التعرف عليها منذ نقطة البدء كونه يعرض الأسطورة بالتفصيل ويذكر أسماء الآلهة ووظائفهم و رتبهم، كما إنه يشرح الأقاصيص بشكل سلس وممتع ومشوق، لا يخلو من المبالغة كما إن البصمة العربية تبدو واضحة في الترجمة لكنها لا تشوب النص الأصلي بل تضعه في قالبِ وضوح رائع دون الاعتماد على الترجمة الحرفي�� التي لا تغني ولا تسمن.

قرأت هذا الكتاب ببطء، لأني لم أرد أن أنتهي منه فحسب.

[Roshnara Mohamed · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rather clean and easy read of a collection of polished up Greek myths that somehow end up using the Roman names of the gods. James Baldwin has listed out the major players and their stories here - Daedalus, Minos, Perseus, Theseus, a tiny appearance by Hercules... and, unlike most Greek myths you'll find lying around, he sympathizes with the Titans, and paint the Olympian gods as evil. There isn't anything new on offer for anyone averagely familiar with popular Greek mythology, but for anyone who doesn't know the basics, this might be a decent introduction

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Greco-Roman mythology, and this book includes many short Greek myths. The stories include Jupiter, Prometheus, Pandora, Io, Arachne, Apollo, Daphne, Cadmus, Europa, Aesculapius, Admetus and Alcestis.

I listened to the free ThoughtAudio.com audiobook.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is written for kids, so it's pretty straightforward and focuses on plot (no analysis), which I liked. My goal in reading this was to get a basic grasp of Greek myths, so that I can recognize references in literature. I've always felt uninterested in myths, but this book is written by James Baldwin (!!) and short.

[Amelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good, somewhat bowlderized collection of ancient Greek myths. The stories were mostly short and the language flows well. I intend to re-read this one aloud to the kids in the near-ish future.

[Freddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is a water down version of the horros of the Greek mythology. I would strongly recommend it for kids since it lacks the brutality of the gods but includes the bravery and the fun adventures of the heroes.

[Aditi suyog mahale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice stories explained in a simple language is very good for helping children increase vocabulary and fantasize about ancient Greek mythologies


A good book with simp!e vocabulary .
Little stories with good morals and a heroic ending is essential for little kids

[brynnie ^3^ · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Old Greek Stories’ recounts the tales of heroes, namely Theseus, antiheroes like Daedalus and Prometheus or lesser known greats such as Perseus.
My favorite story was either the fall of Icarus or Theseus’ possible exile. Baldwin was able to portray Greek myths in a concise and easy to read yet descriptive way. The stories were gripping and even if I was already familiar with the premise, I wanted to know how it could vary from my pre-recollection.
My only gripe with the anthology is how the gods and goddesses were referred to by their Roman names, even though the stories are Greek myths.
I think this was a great, short book that I easily read over the span of a few hours.

[Mona Aljilani · Rating 5 out of 5]

جولة جميلة في الاساطير والميثولوديجي الاغريقية او اليوننية
ممكن للاطفال يقرؤه دون خوف من زعزعة الافكار او المعتقدات الدنيية
ممتع بسيط سهل
The Maidens answered that they would give him not three things, but four. Then one of them gave him a sharp sword, which was crooked like a sickle, and which she fastened to the belt at his waist; and another gave him a shield, which was brighter than any looking-glass you ever saw; and the third gave him a magic pouch, which she hung by a long strap over his shoulder.
Daedalus, Minos, Perseus, Theseus, a tiny appearance by Hercules... and, unlike most Greek myths you'll find lying around, he sympathizes with the Titans, and paint the Olympian gods as evil.
so interesting and strange!

[Cidney · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was already familiar with some of these myths/stories from my schooldays, however I hadn't heard of quite a lot of them so settled down to read before bed few weeks ago. I began to wish I hadn't! What seemed amusing and good donkeys years ago doesn't feel like that today. In fact whilst I enjoyed some of the tales, the majority just left me bored. Maybe we shouldn't revisit childhood reading books? I was disappointed and did give up a few tales from the end. Not one for the me of today I think.

[Masoud · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very concise introduction to Greco-Roman mythology that is written in a charming tone for children or even adults. Throughout the book, the Roman and Greek Gods are mixed which may be confusing for an audience but it does not cause a problem. The main feature of the book is that without any inference to ancient books or comparison of myths and symbols, it gives an enjoyable theme and insight of myths just by story-telling. As the book is of the public domain, it is possible to download the e-book from Archive.org and the audiobook from librivox.org.

[وسام عبده · Rating 5 out of 5]

كتاب أدبي، يعرض أهم الأساطير اليونانية في صورة أدبية صرفة، بذل المترجم جهدًا واضحًا في ترجمة النص، حتى يستطيع أن يصيغ عبارات شاعرية تناسب ما صاغه مؤلف الكتاب ودون أن يخل بالنص، وهو جهد عظيم، خاصة عندما نجد يعيد نظم أبيات الشعر نظمًا عربيًا، كما أن المترجم قدم للكتاب بمقدمة جيدة حول نشأة الأسطورة اليونانية ومغزاها وكيف أثرت في الأدب العالمي، ولكن مآخذي الرئيس على الكتاب أن كثير من الأساطير عرضت عرضًا مختصرًا جانبه التوفيق في الحفاظ على كامل الأسطورة، ومع ذلك يبقى الكتاب ممتازًا خاصة لمن يقرأ عن الأساطير اليونانية للمرة الأولى.

[Yaman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely Very helpful to start with the greek mythologies, which are very amusing..
Problem that is meant to be read by anyone, even children, and that’s why its less detailed and brutal than the real deal.
This is very not a problem, but it makes the mythology less understandable and less interesting..
Still very beautiful and the writer made a noticeable effort to make it suitable or everyone.

[j✿]

A cozy, bedtime-story vibe, like sitting around a campfire with a master storyteller weaving legends about gods fighting over mortal hearts, heroes facing impossible tasks, and monsters lurking in the shadows. Think of this as your go-to guide to Greek mythology without the heavy language. Whether you're new to these stories or just need a refresher, this retelling is a fun, captivating read.

It's mythology made simple, but no less epic.

[Shloka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting how he chooses not to refer to them as Gods in this retelling. Also interesting is the sympathy expressed for the titans throughout. As if the Olympians were some ungrateful upstarts who overthrew the rightful rulers rather than a new age of Gods. What made it more fun though was reading Rick Riordian's Greek Gods alongside. 1895 meets 2014. Delicious. [3.5/5]

[Xena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun, light and beautiful. It took me just an hour and a half to finish the 370 pages.
I would definitely recommend it for kids!
[I seriously hate the fact that it uses the Roman names of gods instead of the Greek’s like why?????]

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Straight forward Greek Mythology

These are very short stories of Greek Mythology. Basic and informative but light years away from my favorite, the recently published Ceres and the bit older Achilles by the exceptional young woman author whose.name I can’t recall 😳!!! Dear!!!